That's infotainment: Today's gadgetry makes driving more entertaining

Today’s cars no longer just carry their occupants from Point A to Point B. Thanks to advancements in automotive “infotainment,” they can inform and entertain passengers along the way like never before.

“The best of the latest infotainment systems are the ones that are the most relevant to driving situations,” says Stephen Lovett, director of the Automotive and Transportation Research Practice with the market research firm Harris Interactive in Rochester, N.Y. “These are systems that can actually make you more productive when you’re behind the wheel.”

To that end, this year Ford rolled out the new Sirius Travel Link service on various Ford, Mercury and Lincoln models that is ideally suited to road warriors. It provides weather conditions and forecasts, sports scores, traffic information, nearby gasoline prices and even movie times both locally, along a route and at a destination. Typically bundled with an optional GPS navigation system, the service requires a $6.99 monthly subscription.

Not to be outdone, BMW is incorporating Google maps into the 3 Series’ available BMW assist-enabled navigation system via a wireless Internet connection. This subscription-based service allows motorists to search for restaurants, hotels, service stations, banks, supermarkets, cinemas and public facilities by keyword, then, at the push of a button initiate route guidance and place hands-free calls via a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone.

For those seeking even deeper in-car Web access, Chrysler is offering the dealer-installed “UConnect Web” accessory on its 2009 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models. The device enables laptop computers and other devices with Wi-Fi, such as Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch and the Nintendo DS portable gaming system, to connect to the Internet via a wireless network. The Wi-Fi module costs $499, with Autonet Mobile assessing a $29 per month subscription fee (in one, two or three-year plans) for Internet connectivity.

The jury remains out, however, on whether tomorrow’s cars will feature dashboard-mounted PCs with complete Internet and e-mail capability. “I’m still not sold on the idea of a driver having full access to the Internet,” says Mike Marshall, director of automotive emerging technologies at the research firm J.D. Power and Associates in Westlake Village, Calif. “I just don’t see that happening, from a legal standpoint, because of driver distraction issues.”

Ford made a splash last year when it launched the innovative Sync system it developed in collaboration with Microsoft. Now offered across the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lines, Sync makes it possible to operate multiple devices, from cell phones to an iPod, navigation system and audio array, in a car or truck on a hands-free basis.

Lexus will introduce a new “casual voice recognition” system in its 2010 RX crossover SUV that acknowledges conversational commands.

“In the late 1960s, the typical cabin had less than 35 buttons and levers within the driver’s reach. By the mid-1980’s, there were less than 50. Today, a typical luxury car can feature over 100 buttons or levers within the driver’s reach,” Marshall explains. “The question is whether the rate at which we can master such systems is greater than the rate at which these things become more complex.”